--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Alas ! How few of Nature's faces are left…" description: "\"“Alas ! How few of Nature's faces are left alone to gladden us with their beauty ! The cares, and sorrows, and the hungerings, of the world, change the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/charles-dickens-34_early-life_alas-how-few-of-nature-s-faces-are-left_2277296.jpg" --- # Alas ! How few of Nature's faces are left alone to gladden… ![“Alas ! How few of Nature's faces are left alone to gladden us with their beauty ! The cares, and sorrows, and the hungerings, of the world, change them as they change hearts; and it is only when those passions sleep, and have lost their hold for ever, that the troubled clouds pass off, and leave…” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/charles-dickens-34_early-life_alas-how-few-of-nature-s-faces-are-left_2277296.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/charles-dickens-34_early-life_alas-how-few-of-nature-s-faces-are-left_2277296.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/charles-dickens-34_early-life_alas-how-few-of-nature-s-faces-are-left_2277296.jpg) > ““Alas ! How few of Nature's faces are left alone to gladden us with their beauty ! The cares, and sorrows, and the hungerings, of the world, change them as they change hearts; and it is only when those passions sleep, and have lost their hold for ever, that the troubled clouds pass off, and leave Heaven's surface clear. It is a common thing for the countenances of the dead, even in that fixed and rigid state, to subside into the long-forgotten expression of sleeping infancy, and settle into the very look of early life; so calm, so peaceful, do they grow again, that those who knew them in their happy childhood, kneel by the coffin's side in awe, and see the Angel even upon earth.”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When the world’s turmoil subsides, the dead’s peaceful expression reminds us of innocence and hope, offering a glimpse of heavenly calm amidst grief. **In simple terms:** Peaceful faces of the dead echo childhood innocence, calming grief. Key Takeaway Find solace in remembering innocence. Themes grief memory tranquility Mood somber reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - funeral visits - reflecting on loss - seeking comfort - honoring ancestors Key Concepts Romanticism mortality innocence Questions to Reflect On - How does remembering childhood innocence help you cope with loss? - Can peace be truly found in mourning? A Different Perspective Even in calm, grief can resurface, challenging the notion of lasting peace. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Early life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-life/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Happy childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-childhood/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [The experimenter dealing with nature faces an outside and often hard world. 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